Winter weather soaks county; more snow expected Saturday

By VINCE SULLIVAN

Wednesday, December 26, 2012

Periods of freezing rain and sleet combined for a sloppy Wednesday that contributed to several traffic accidents, and heavier rains overnight will taper off as the sun returns Thursday afternoon, according to the National Weather Service in Mount Holly, New Jersey.

Meteorologist Greg Heavener said Wednesday the wintry mix of precipitation would wind down, as the bulk of a winter storm system passed through Wednesday afternoon. Heavy rains were predicted for Wednesday night.

"For the most part, it is across the area now," Heavener said about 4 p.m. Wednesday. "We'll warm up enough to where it'll change to all liquid."

The predicted deluge resulted in a coastal flood advisory for the region, including Delaware County, as the high-tide cycle crested Wednesday night.

"Some of the smaller creeks and rivers could get close to their banks, or actually overflow their banks, by Thursday morning," Heavener said.

The storm system should move out by this afternoon, as the rain slowly fades and the skies clear up. This same system caused tornadoes and high winds across the southern United States Tuesday, and continued to wreak havoc in the Carolinas Wednesday, Heavener said. Blizzard conditions were reported in the Ohio River Valley up through New York Wednesday.

"It's a pretty complex system," Heavener said. "We're kind of right in between the two extremes."

Emergency crews responded to several traffic accidents throughout Delaware County on Wednesday afternoon, as periods of heavy rain, combined with sleet and freezing rain, reduced visibility on major roadways. In Aston, a truck overturned on Bridgewater Road at about 1:45 p.m. Another accident occurred along the same road a few minutes later. Another pair of crashes caused traffic delays on the Media Bypass when one car flipped onto its roof, and in another incident a person sustained injuries in a three-car accident.

Wednesday's heavy rains will elevate temperatures into Thursday, so icy road conditions are not expected around Delaware County, Heavener said. Thursday's temperature will be in the low 40s, dropping to about 30 degrees Thursday night. Friday will again see temperatures in the low 40s with clear skies, but another storm system is due to arrive in the area early Saturday morning. Overnight temperatures on Friday into Saturday will be in the low 30s when a second round of wintry precipitation will begin.

"We'll see more snow accumulation along the I-95 corridor (than we did on Wednesday) because of the lower temperatures," Heavener said. Accumulation predictions were not available Wednesday, he said, because the NWS was focused on the current storm system.